Mel B on stage

HER solo pop career may have taken a nosedive, but Spice Girl Mel B's acting ambitions appear to be on the up with word that she is to star in the forthcoming Manchester tour dates of cult chick stage show The Vagina Monologues.

HER solo pop career may have taken a nosedive, but Spice Girl Mel B's acting ambitions appear to be on the up with word that she is to star in the forthcoming Manchester tour dates of cult chick stage show The Vagina Monologues.

Details of the touring cast have until now been kept under wraps, but The Diary can reveal that Mel will join comedienne Rhona Cameron and Russian-born actress Ingeborga Dapkunaite at the Lowry for the hit production next month.

The three will come together for the second time, after their Monologues debut in London's West End in March. Theatre critics hailed Mel B's performance as a "revelation" and the one-time pop star will be hoping for a similar reaction when she takes to the stage at the Salford arts centre from September 17.

She will come to the role fresh from her first ever TV drama, the Red Productions series for BBC Choice, Burn It, which has been filming on location in Manchester this summer. The Vagina Monologues will also provide added publicity for her forthcoming autobiography, Catch A Fire (coined from the Bob Marley album) which is due out on September 2.

A close pal of Mel's tells me: "She did so well in the Monologues in London, she absolutely loved it, so when they asked if she'd come back and do it again she jumped at the chance.

"She'll just be doing the Manchester week, partly because she's got so much going on but also because it means she'll be able to stay with her folks and spend some time with her friends while she's in the north west. It's brilliant news for her and she's totally excited."